Aletai - Iron Meteorite

The Aletai meteorite is a rare and valuable iron siderite, belonging to the IIIE-an type, found in the northern region of Xinjiang, China, at the geographic coordinates 45°52'16"N, 90°30'17"E. Its discovery dates back to 1898, but it was officially recognized and named "Aletai" in the Meteoritical Bulletin of November 27, 2016, when the previously used synonyms, such as Armanty, Akebulake, Ulasitai, Wuxilike, Xinjiang (b), and Xinjiang 008, were abandoned and became synonyms for Aletai. This meteorite is remarkable for its unique characteristics within the IIIE group. Chemical and petrographic analyses have revealed that several masses of iron meteorites found in the Xinjiang region are closely related to Aletai (IIIE). Additionally, Aletai exhibits an extraordinarily high concentration of gold (Au), ranging from 1.810 to 1.894 µg/g, and a significantly higher concentration of iridium (Ir) compared to other members of the group, oscillating between 0.228 and 0.235 µg/g. Among the various known Aletai meteorites, there is the Aramanty mass, discovered back in 1898, weighing an impressive approximately 28 tonnes and located at the coordinates 45°52.272′N, 90°30.279′E. Other specimens include Akebulake, weighing about 18 tonnes, found in 2011 at coordinates 48°6.25′N, 88°16.57′E; Wuxilike (previously known as Xinjiang 008), with a weight of about 5 tonnes, discovered at coordinates 48°3.13′N, 88°22.32′E; Ulasitai, discovered in 2004, weighing approximately 0.43 tonnes, and located at 44°57'24"N, 91°24'09"E; Xinjiang (b), discovered in 2005, weighing around 35 kilograms, positioned at 47°58.7′N, 88°13.1′E; and an unnamed meteorite, weighing approximately 15 kilograms, found in the Xiaodonggou region, close to the discovery sites of Wuxilike and Akebulake. The high levels of gold and iridium, along with the chemical and petrographic peculiarities of the Aletai meteorite, make it particularly intriguing for scientists studying the origin and evolution of the solar system. The Aletai meteorite represents a precious resource for gaining insight into the history of the universe and significantly contributes to our understanding of the formation of celestial bodies and the geological processes that have shaped our solar system over millennia.